Travel-related venous thromboembolism (VTE) following long-haul flights has recently attracted significant public attention. Results of a new meta-analysis of 14 studies showed travelers have a significant elevation in risk that increases with the duration of the trip. The pooled relative risk for VTE across all the studies was 2.0 (p>0.001) compared to non-travelers. When duration of travel was examined, the VTE risk increased a significant 18% per 2 hours of travel. It it should be noted there is one case of VTE per 4600 airline flights.
PositiveTip: When traveling, drink plenty of fluids, stretch legs and change position at least every 2 hours, and avoid alcoholic beverages.